The Upsilon Tournament (Rewrite)
by FrickinShark
Summary: Ash has won the Kalos League and spent the last five years of his life bringing down Team Rocket. Now that they're gone, Ash has been invited to the Third Upsilon Tournament. He will meet friends, old and new, and face the hardest trainers he's ever met. Will he succeed, or will his dreams fall flat? (Rated M for Violence, Language, and potential sexual themes.)
1. Chapter 1

You want to know the most uncomfortable way to wake up in the morning? A thunderbolt lancing through your skin. Do you know how I have to wake up every morning?

"JESUS CHRIST PIKACHU! WHAT THE HELL!?" I shout angrily. My entire body sending tiny lightning bolts flying in every direction.

"Chu chu chu!" Giggles Pikachu happily.

"Don't you laugh at me! For god's sake, this was a brand new blanket!" I can practically hear Paul tearing me a new asshole with how much this will upset our budget. Seriously, I know he's an accountant, but you'd think he'd drop the job while he's here.

I groan and push myself up from the bed, stumbling over last night's clothes and pulling open my dresser drawer. My usual clothes are there, waiting for me to put them on. I sigh and pull on the jacket before taking a moment to consider how hot it was in my- OH SHIT! Note to self, be ready for a fire punch at any time. I glare at Infernape angrily. "You've gotta be kidding me. Really Infernape! Is there any way you can wake me up without hitting me? I get Charizard doing it, but you never did this when I travelled with you through Sinnoh."

"He did it at my behest." Comes a voice from the doorway. I look up to see Silver standing there, smirking. His red hair shimmering behind the steam of a few cups of… Coffee! I rush him and yank one of the cups from his hand, downing it in a matter of seconds. He laughs. "Somebody needed some energy." He says with a grin. I smile.

"You know I'm an asshole without my caffeine." I reply.

"Nope, I think you're just an asshole generally." Says someone from behind Silver.

"Go fuck yourself Lucas, don't you have a bet to lose to Hugh?" I shoot back. He snorts.

"One day I'm gonna win big, and you will be eating those words as I'm christening my yacht with Drumpf Vodka." I groan.

"They stopped making that distilled Ponyta piss years ago dude." Silver nods.

"If the pain you feel when you crack your head open on concrete had a taste, it'd be Drumpf Vodka."

I pull on my hat and walk out the door, all the energy I had as a kid flooding back into me as it settles onto my head. It feels, so nostalgic. I smirk and begin the descent to the bottom floor. Pikachu slides down the railing beside me with a huge grin on his face. I feel myself smile as my hand glides across his back. Much as I yell at him, I can never stop loving this little guy. And he takes full advantage of that fact. As I emerge from the staircase I hear voices arguing with each other. Hugh and Nate again I guess. They argue a lot. Red, the only good chef among us, smiles and beckons me into the kitchen. A giant breakfast of sausage, poached eggs, toast, waffles with a slice of muenster on top of each one, and a stack of pancakes that were glistening with a maple syrup and butter mixture is waiting for me at my place at the table.

"Anything I missed since last night?" I ask curiously as I take my seat. Red nods.

"The mailman came by. There were a few letters for you. I think there's one from your Mom, one's from Brock, and one is from the Pokemon League. We all got one, but I haven't read mine yet. I bet they're all identical. Want to see what it's all about?" I shove another pancake down my throat before replying.

"Yeah. Where's the letter?" He hands it to me, and I feel a rush of excitement as I cut it open. I pull the sheet of paper out to see a very distinctive handwriting.

* * *

 _Dear Esteemed Trainer,_

 _We at the Pokemon League would like to cordially invite you to the Pokemon Upsilon Mastery Tournament at Lily of the Valley Island in Sinnoh, In this legendary tournament, trainers and coordinators from all around the world will attempt to become masters in their selected path. The winner of both categories will be awarded as such: The winning coordinator will be given the position of the world's Top Coordinator and be given an exclusive mansion anywhere in the world, along with a grand prize of a billion pokedollars. The winning trainer will receive the same thing, but instead of world's top coordinator, they will be made an official Pokemon Master._

 _Trainers who agree to compete will be provided a room, or even a suite of rooms if you come as a group, and all meals will be paid for by the League. This contest will run from November twentieth to December twenty fourth. Then, one week later, on New Year's Eve, the final battle between last year's champions Steven Stone and Wallace Noa, and this years master trainer and coordinator, will compete to see if the champions can maintain their titles. Do you have what it takes to topple the top? We shall see, at the Upsilon Tournament!_

 _-The Pokemon League_

* * *

I set the letter down and look up at Red. "We all just got invited to compete in the Upsilon Tournament." Red drops his fork in surprise.

"Really? I didn't expect that. I thought it'd just be another job offer. Then again, they did promise us a few months of break time after we took down Team Rocket." I smirk at the memory. It had been way easier than I'd expected to infiltrate Team Rocket's Kanto Headquarters. We just had to show up with Meowth and they believed we were real members. "Ash? Earth to Ash?" Says Red, a note of impatience in his voice.

"Oh, sorry Red. What'd you say?" I ask, scratching my head as I realize I was daydreaming again.

Red looks at me carefully to make sure I was paying attention, then asks, "Are you going to go to the Upsilon Tournament?" I bite my bottom lip thoughtfully. I hadn't entered a tournament since the Kalos league. But this one was way bigger. Nearly four thousand trainers were selected each time. The chances of winning were minuscule.

"I… Don't know." I say at last. "Have you ever competed?" Red smiles and leans back in his chair.

"Oh yeah, Silver, Blue, and I all competed. Crazy shit went down, I was one of the final eight actually, but I got beaten by Steven Stone. That Metagross of his is insanely powerful. It took out three of my strongest Pokemon before Blastoise finally knocked it out." I whistle. Red's Pokemon were not to be trifled with. Red smirks before continuing, "Still, it was a ton of fun. The last couple hundred trainers all had a unique style of battling. Not to mention the battles themselves were completely different from anything I've ever experienced."

I raise my eyebrow. "What do you mean they were different? Were people using moves in different ways?" Red shakes his head, leaning back in his chair and putting his feet up on the table.

"Well, yeah. Of course they were using moves differently. But what I'm talking about is more the entire battle. From the battlefield, to the type of battle, even the gravity! Then there was this team of psychics they had on hand that would randomly reverse type effectiveness. It was absolutely insane, and actually the reason I won in one of the matches. Somebody had used Foul Play on my Espeon right when the type advantages were swapped, so it didn't do any damage. Which pretty saved my ass."

I feel the old excitement begin to bubble up inside me. If I win this tournament, I'll fulfill my lifelong dream. Though if I'm honest, I'm surprised Pokemon Master is an official title. I'd just made it up as a kid, but I guess it's a real thing. Huh, who'd have thought. Shit, I'm daydreaming again aren't I? I guess that happens a lot when you're my age. You don't know what you want to do with your life just yet and there's so many poss- No! Focus Ash! Reds looking at me, isn't he. I open my mouth to say something, but a loud BURR makes me jump up from my seat.

"Jesus Christ! Really Nate?! Really?" I yell without having to turn around. The snorting laugh behind me already told me who it was. "Do you even have a shred of self control? For fucks sake! I ask you not to use an air horn right next to my head and what do you do? Use an air horn, right next to my head!"

Nate laughs again. The smirk that was no doubt on his face seeping into his voice as he replies, "I didn't do it **next** to your head. I did it right **behind** your head. There's a difference."

I glower at him. "No there isn't you dumbass! Don't try and weasel your way out of this one. I'm gonna kick your ass. I grab Nate by the collar and hoist him up, grabbing the air horn in his hand and hauling him outside. He knows exactly what I'm doing and screams in terror. I tune out his cries for mercy as I walk into the grassland surrounding our house. They should be here. Where are the… Oh there they are! Looks like they've seen me… I grin at Nate's terrified face, and whisper, "Tauro." Before tossing him into the rushing crowd of thirty Tauros. Ah… The sound of venge- oh no… Those were his balls. God, I deserve to be trampled after that. I take the charge as well, feeling an immense pain as they bull rush me. Wait… Fuck, I made an awful pun just there. That was just abysmal.

Pikachu and Hugh are laughing their asses off, while Red is trying to hide his smile. I try and push myself to my feet, sweat trickling down the back of my neck as the agony of one hundred and twenty hooves stomping down on me fades. I look to see Nate moaning and clutching his junk. He's obviously not as used to this as I am.

"So Ash, are you gonna read the other letters, or what?" Yells Red. I nod, my back making an ominous cracking noise as I stretch. I'm gonna feel that in the morning. I return to the kitchen and plop down onto my chair. My eyes lock on the letter from my mom before I grab it and tear it open. A note and a letter fall onto the table. I pick up the note first

* * *

 _Dear Ash,_

 _I've managed to get in contact with Serena, her letter is enclosed in this envelope. I know I can't write much on this sheet of paper. So I'll just put on what's important. I love and miss you._

 _Stay Safe_

 _-Mom._

* * *

I smile. Even though it's been nearly a year since I've seen her, not a day goes by that I don't miss my mother. She's done everything in her power to keep me safe over these last few years. While I was being hunted by Team Rocket, she was helping the G-Men cover my tracks. It's partially thanks to her that I'm still alive.

Next, I reach for the folded piece of paper on the table, before pausing. The last time I'd seen Serena, it was through a closing train door as I was pulled away from the train station in Kanto. She'd shouted something as the train pulled away… But the closed door and the noise had made me miss it. Since then, I've wanted to know what she said. Hoping beyond hope that it was the three words I'd imagined her saying at least a thousand times. I steel myself and grab the letter.

* * *

 _Dear Ash,_

 _I know that you stopped calling over the past year and a half because Team Rocket was actively hunting you, and I've forgiven you for that. I know it's been awhile since we talked face to face… But don't worry! I will find a way to reach you. When I do, let's have coffee, or go get dinner, or something! Whatever the two of us want to do. I just want to go on a date with you._

 _Ash… before I left Kalos, I kissed your lips. I know we've talked about it before on the phone, but I've never asked you the question I wanted to ask. How did you feel? I want you to tell me, but not through any love letter. I want you to tell me face to face. So you'd better have a good answer ready._

 _I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kiss you._

 _-Serena_

* * *

Red is looking at me expectantly. Allowing me to digest the information before asking, "Well… What'd your mom say?" I try to talk, fail, then try again.

"The note was from my Mom, but the letter was from Serena." Red straightens in his seat, and Hugh turns to look at me in surprise. When I don't keep going, Hugh pushes me.

"Well don't leave us waiting, asshole! Let's hear it!" He says excitedly. I shake my head.

"No, sorry Hugh. I kinda want to keep what it says to myself." Hugh nods.

"No worries, I get where you're coming from." He gestures to the final letter, the one from Brock. "How does Brock even know where we are? I thought only the G-Men knew that."

In the living room, a stern voice yells at Hugh. "Brock was a part of the G-Men for that operation. So we're all the other Kanto gym leaders. They know where Ash is, but they were asked not to visit. Sending a letters alright though."

Hugh nods again, "Oh, ok! Thanks Paul!" While they're talking, I glance over Brock's letter. My eyes widening in surprise.

"He wants some help in Kalos. What the hell is he doing there?"

"No idea, but maybe you can ask him." Red replies as he stands.

I raise my eyebrow. "You leaving, Red?" He shrugs.

"We're running low on oran and pecha berries, and since they're way cheaper in Kalos, I figured I'd drop you off in Lumiose and head to their supermarket." Red pauses and looks at me uncertainly. "He _is_ in Lumiose right?"

I nod. "Yeah, he said he was staying at that big hotel they have there. Hotel Richi-something." I sigh. "He certainly isn't sparing any expenses. He's got to have been there for a few days already. It takes a while for a letter to get anywhere near Mele Mele." I glance at Red. "How long until the Upsilon Tournament? I figure if Brock's been there for a few days, then we may need to stay for a few more."

Red shrugs. "The tournament isn't for another two weeks. You've got some time. What Pokemon are you gonna bring?" I pause for a moment. What Pokemon should I bring? If I bring Latias or Giratina I'll draw to much attention. Same with if I bring a Pokemon that's rare in Kalos. Not for the first time, I wish I still had my Greninja. Maybe I'll run into him on this trip though… and I may as well have another spare space incase I come across a new Pokemon, or if he wants to come with me to help out in the tournament. "Well… What Pokemon?" Asks Red again.

"Pikachu, obviously." I say finally. "Gallade, incase we need to teleport. Talonflame, because she knows Kalos pretty well. Clawitzer, because he's been getting bored lately. And… Heracross. We may come across some Heracrossite while we're there. So I want to have him ready just in case."

Red grins. "You really think that Greninja might rejoin you?"

I shrug. "I don't know, but it's best to be prepared, right?"

Red nods. "Fair enough, go get your Pokemon, and we'll be off." With that, he turns and walks out the door, heading in the direction of the field. I shovel one last bite of pancake into my mouth before following him. I can see Nate struggling to his feet. It's pretty satisfying if I'm honest. Pikachu sits calmly on my shoulder, his cheeks electrified with excitement.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, I'm walking through the streets of Kalos's largest city. A small bag slung over my shoulder with clothes and a towel. My eyes lock onto the towering hotel Richissime. "I wonder what it looks like on the inside." I mutter. Pikachu smirks and jumps over to my other shoulder, shaking off some of the dirt that covered his yellow fur. I smile at my best friend and push through the door.

The lobby is enormous, with enough space to fit a few hundred people comfortably. But today, it's nearly empty. Which surprises me, and puts me on my guard. I reach into my pocket to reassure myself that my pokeballs are still there. There are three people standing at the front desk. Two of them are excessively attractive young men, and the other one is an equally attractive woman. I raise my eyebrows and walk calmly up to the front desk.

The woman is the first to speak. "Hello sir, and welcome to hotel Richissime! Do you have a reservation? Or would you like to book a room now?"

I shake my head. "Actually, I'm here to see the gym leader Brock. Is he here, or has he gone out?"

The woman shakes her head. "No sir, he's still here. He is in his room. If you would please follow me, I'll take you to him." I begin to follow her towards the elevator, and glance at Pikachu, noticing he looks on edge as well. Just another reason to watch out, I guess. The woman pushes the elevator button, and its doors open instantly. We walk in together and as the doors close I can see her breathing get a little faster.

"You mind if I ask where everybody is? I expected at least a small crowd downstairs, but except for you three it's completely empty."

The woman shudders. "Yes, it's rather concerning, no one came down today. We've tried to enter almost every room in the hotel, and none of our key cards work. We're all very worried, particularly because some of our staff is missing as well."

"Why haven't you reported this to the police?" I ask. "Surely they'd look into this."

The woman nods. "They are right now. Officer Jenny is on the seventh floor with two private investigators the owner has contracted. We're hoping they'll be able to get to the bottom of…" She pauses as I press the seventh floor button. "What are you doing?" She asks in surprise as our elevator begins to ascend.

I shrug. "Brock's a friend of mine, and if he's in trouble, then I'm going to try to help him. So I figure I'll go ask the detectives what they know about what's going on."

The woman looks at me as if I'm crazy. "Sir, with all do respect. What do you know about solving cases like this?"

I smirk. "Not much, but I know enough about battling. And in case shit hits the fan, they may want some help." The door opens and I walk into the hallway, saluting the woman behind me and turning to the left. Pikachu's cheeks start to crackle win electricity as he stares down the empty hallway. I can hear voices coming from down the hall, but rather than go all the way to the next corridor, I pause and stare through the peephole of the nearest door. It's hard to see through the darkness, but I notice something moving around inside the room, and whatever it is doesn't look human.

I glance at Pikachu and whisper, "Iron Tail." As quietly as I can. Pikachu nods and, with all the subtlety of a rampaging Wailord, cuts the door right off its hinges. There is a loud **Thud** as the door crashes onto the ground. I sprint in and turn on the lights, revealing a cloud of unusual pink mist. Footsteps thunder down the hallway as three people enter the room behind me. I ignore them and pull out Talonflames pokeball. "Talonflame, clear out this mist with Tailwind. Pikachu, keep an eye out for whatever was moving around in here. It's probably hiding in the mist."

Behind me, Officer Jenny yells at me to put my Pokemon away and get on the ground. I just smile and walk forward, into the mist. That'll freak their shit right the hell out, at least until Talonflame blows away the mist. As if on cue, the mist is blown away, revealing me and a very unhappy looking Munna. I guess I just interrupted its feeding session. It glowers at me before using Shadow Ball. Pikachu is in front of me in an instant, using Iron Tail to deflect the Shadow Ball back into the floating psychic type.

The Munna hovers for a moment, then falls to the ground, knocked out. I turn, looking at the people behind me. "This building most likely has a Munna infestation. They probably migrated here from somewhere. I suggest we find out where."

Officer Jenny stares at my face for a moment before recognizing it. "You're that kid! The one who climbed Prism tower! What are you doing here?"

I shrug. "My friend Brock was staying at this hotel and he asked me to come see him. I'm glad I listened, otherwise he'd probably be stuck here for a while." I glance at the Munna and walk towards its unconscious form. "Something's not quite right about this situation though."

One of the detectives, a young woman with black hair and an Espurr on her shoulder looks at me in mock surprise. "No! A flock of Munna randomly migrating to Lumiose city and taking over an enormous hotel! I thought that was common."

"It's a pod." Says the other detective casually, pushing his hat up to uncover his face. He looks pretty handsome. Black hair and coffee skin mix together to form a rather attractive face.

His partner looks at him, confused. "What's a pod?"

He grins. "The Munna. You said a flock, but that'd denote they're birds. They're more like whales to me, so it's a pod."

The girl glares angrily at him, pounding her fist into his arm. "I don't care whether they're a pod or a pack. What matters is that they're here."

I nod. "She's right. We need to focus on what's wrong here." I turn to Officer Jenny. "Munna don't usually migrate like this. It makes me think that they might have been driven out of their normal home. So maybe if we drive out whatever's taken over, we can get the Munna to move away."

Officer Jenny nods. "Sounds good. Any chance you can figure out where they were living before they came here?"

I shake my head, "I don't need to. We can just ask this Munna." I gesture to the pink ball lying on the ground. "It can tell us where to go, and my Gallade can teleport us there."

Officer Jenny smiles. "I am glad you showed up. I've actually got some progress now." She turns to the two detectives. "Emma, Calem, I'm going to stay here. You go with this man to help stop whatever took over Munna's home."

"I've got a name you know." I comment dryly.

She sighs. "Sorry, it's been a few years so I've forgotten. What's your name again?"

"Ash Ketchum." I say with a grin, pushing my hat up and smirking.

The detective, who I assume is named Calem, snaps his head up suddenly. "You're Ash Ketchum!? You mean the kid that's helped bring down six evil teams?! Including Team Rocket!?" He steps forward, his face splitting into a warm smile. "You're a fucking legend! It's an unbelievable honor to meet you! I've been such a big fan of yours for so long! I was rooting for you in the Kalos league, and I was so excited when you won I-" He grabs my hand and begins shaking it vigorously, speaking so fast I couldn't really make out his words anymore. His partner punches him and he stumbles away.

"Sorry about him. He's a big fanboy of yours." She leans over and starts to whisper into my ear. "He's got a poster of the G-Men with you in the front, he has all your action figures too." She leans back and smiles. "I'm Emma Bosnic, and that idiot is Calem Xavier. The former champion of Kalos until he stepped down to work with me full time."

I smirk. "Nice to meet you both. Though I'm gonna be honest, I didn't know I had action figures." A noise behind me causes me to turn. Munna is beginning to come to. I walk towards it and pull out an Oran berry, offering it to the Pokemon. It sniffs the berry suspiciously before taking a bite. I watch it's strength slowly recover as it looked at me expectantly. "Munna, I want to know where you used to live. Did something drive you out of there?" Munna tilts itself up and down, which I take as a nod. "Tell my Gallade then. He's going to teleport us there and drive away whatever attacked you. When we get back, please tell your friends to leave and go back to your old home."

A few moments later, Calem, Emma and I are standing at the top of a mountain. "Holy shit it's cold!" Says Emma unhappily. Wrapping her arms around herself and shivering. Calem and I smirk, we are both wearing rather comfy jackets, while Emma is dressed in blue jeans and a grey tank top. Both of our smiles freeze over as we here an extremely unpleasant noise echoing from below us. We look down, meeting the gaze of an enormous Pokemon with piercing blue eyes. It's flying towards us, it's red and black wings spread, looking similar to an enormous Y. I recognize almost immediately.

"That's Yveltal! What the hell is it doing here?" I yell as it passes above us, spinning as it did. Yveltal glowers down at us before using Oblivion Wing. It slams into the ground where we had been just a second before. I stare up at the destruction Pokemon, noticing something wrong with its back. "So, I'm not the only one who sees crystal growing on its back right?" Without waiting for a reply I send out Heracross and Clawitzer. "Heracross, use Rockslide. Pikachu, Clawitzer, bounce on the rocks and attack with an Electro Ball and Aura Sphere. Try and make them meet, so Yveltal can't dodge it. Go!"

My Pokemon rush to obey. Pikachu and Clawitzer bounce upward onto the rocks and launch a super orb at Yveltal. It cries out in pain as it impacts, and it's obviously done some damage, but it glowers back at us again before trying yet another Oblivion Wing. It never gets the chance to fire, however, as a rain of green spikes shoots up from the ground and pins Yveltal the mountainside. A split second later, a rush of blue shoots past me and cuts through the crystal on Yveltal's back. The blue pokemon stands and looks back at me. It's tongue wrapped around it's neck like a scarf. I recognize him instantly. A Greninja. My Greninja.

 **Guess who's back! Yeah, I know. What the fuck took me so long? Doesn't matter. This is the first chapter. I know what you all are thinking. What the fuck is this? This isn't a tournament?! What the hell! Well, hold your horses kids. I'm getting to the tournament. But I feel like I should let people see how this older, more mature Ash acts. Plus, I want Ash to have his Greninja back for the tournament. Link Evolution is going to play an important part of this story, as I'm going to be developing Hyper Evolution around it, and two other evolution types. Mega Evolution… And a surprise.**

 **So, I guess now I should give a few hints, huh? Alright then. Lemme give the titles for the next few chapters I have planned.**

 **Chapter Two, Ash and Greninja, a Mountain Top Reunion.**

 **Chapter Three, Shalour City Rematch, Ash vs Korrina.**

 **Chapter Four, The Truest Bonds, the Trials For the Mega Stones.**

 **Chapter Five, Battle Begin! Mega Steelix vs Mega Heracross.**

 **Chapter Six, Darkness strikes again, A life in peril?**

 **Chapter Seven, Clawitzer's Breaking Point, Reinforcement have arrived?**

 **Chapter Eight, A return to Mele Mele, Prepare for the Upsilon Tournament!**

 **And yes, I will do be doing a small gleam what I'm planning at the end of every chapter, so don't miss it.**


	2. Chapter 2

Think of one of the most uncomfortable situations to reunite with an old friend. I know, there are a lot of bad ones. But if you picked on top of a freezing mountain, after fighting a legendary Pokemon, with two new acquaintances who still don't know what the fuck is going on, while almost all the Pokemon you're using are new to this friend, all of this happening while a duo of strange legendary snakes are slithering up the mountain towards you. Then you've pretty much found what I am currently dealing with.

"Ash… So I see you're back in Kalos." Says the Zygarde on the left. It's green body is practically indistinguishable from its brother, but I recognize the voice.

"Yeah Squishy, I am. A friend of mine called me here to help him out with something. But when I got here, he was in a forced sleep because of a group-"

"Pod." Mutters Calem.

" _Group_ , of Munna. One of them said they were driven away from their home, so we came here to get whatever took this place over to leave. I must admit, I did not expect to run into Yveltal. Or you three, for that matter." I grin at Greninja. "I'm in Kalos for less than an hour and you've already come running to find me. It's nice to know I've been missed." Greninja snorts and lightly punches my shoulder.

Emma looks at me in surprise. "This was your Greninja?"

I nod. "Yep, right before I left Kalos, he left with Zygarde to help defend this region." I turn to Greninja and grin. "I bet Tapu Koko would love you, Greninja. He's the Island Guardian of Mele Mele in the Alola Region."

The Zygarde on the right tilts its head. "Ash, could you please focus on the here and now?"

I sigh. "Right, sorry Z-Two. I'm just excited to see you all again."

Squishy nods, as much as a serpent can nod anyway, "Likewise. Although, I wish it were under better circumstances. There have been rather unfortunate incidents happening over the last few days."

Calem coughs to get our attention. "I'm glad everyone's alright and that you are all happy to be reunited. But Emma isn't really dressed for this kind of weather. Can we move to somewhere that isn't freezing?" Emma nods, her teeth chattering as she presses against Calem.

We all instantly look apologetic. "Of course. I'm sorry for not realizing, Emma." I reply as I look at Gallade. "Gallade, teleport us somewhere warm, where no one will find us." Gallade nods and uses teleport. A moment later, we emerge in… Oh great. "Gallade? Isn't this Tapu Lele's temple?" Gallade nods, it's eyes scanning the area.

"What's so bad about this place?" Asks Calem.

"Not to mention where is this place? The ruins sure don't look like the kind that're in Kalos." Says Emma. I open my mouth to reply, but an obnoxiously happy voice seers through my ears.

"Ash! Oh my gosh I've missed you so much!" Screams Tapu Lele as she soars through the air and wraps her arms around me.

"Hey Tapu- Woah, hey!" My voice is cut off for a moment as I'm pulled into Lele's shell. The exit closes and I'm face to face with the guardian of Akala Island. Her jolly face pressing against my nose. "What the hell, Lele?! Do you know how hard it is for three people to breathe in here?" I ask as I indicate Pikachu, still sitting on my left shoulder. His cheeks are alive with electricity that lights up the dark interior of the shell.

Tapu Lele giggles. "I'm sorry! It's just so great to see you! You haven't come to visit me in _**SUCH**_ a long time! And I've really wanted to see you, and that Gallade of yours…" she begins to drool a little bit. "That's why I hijacked your teleport and brought you he-" She's interrupted by the sound of somebody prying open her shell. Greninja's face appears in the opening, a water shuriken visible in his right hand. Lele pouts. "Don't you know it's rude to open someone's door without knocking?"

Greninja glowers at her and grabs my hand, pulling Pikachu and I out of the shell. Squishy and Z-Two are both coiled calmly in front of Calem and Emma, their eyes locked firmly on Tapu-Lele. "Thanks Greninja. But I think you may have pissed her off a bit." I say as Tapu-Lele continues to pout. "Sorry Lele, but I'm not gonna apologize for Greninja saving me."

"Well, I want an apology or a battle. Either one works." Replies Tapu-Lele, and my eyes widen in surprise.

"You actually want to fight? Last time you fought one of my Pokemon, they not only beat you, but you also developed a pretty serious crush on them." I indicate Gallade behind me, and the drool returns to her lips.

"Right, about that. When I win, would you be willing to leave Gallade here for a week as a way of apology?" That's ticks me off a little. Lele may be a super upbeat Pokemon. But she's still a legendary, and is subject to the bloated ego most of them posses. As such, she can be a little aggravating. I glance at Greninja and Gallade, who both seem just as frustrated as I am. Then nod.

"Fine, we'll fight you. Greninja, get ready." Greninja's tongue lifts a little as it moves in front of me, so I assume that it's grinning. "Alright, you ready Lele?" I ask, and she smirks.

"Always! Time to earn me a cuddle bunny!" She says before sending an energy ball hurtling towards us.

"Greninja, send it back with Night Slash." I call out, and Greninja does as I command in an instant, deflecting the energy ball back into Lele. It knocks her back before she recovers and glares at Greninja.

"You're a mean one, aren't you?" Lele growls. Then she fires several Thunder Bolts at us.

I smirk. "Try harder, Lele. Greninja, Ice Beam Wall!" Greninja nods before instantly creating a wall of ice, absorbing the electricity into the wall. "Alright, let's go on the offensive. Thunder Ice Shurikens!" I yell. Greninja launches several Water Shurikens through the wall, freezing them in electric ice as they pass out the other end and slam into Lele.

Lele falls to the ground, seemingly unconscious, then angrily pushes herself up. I can feel what's about to happen before she even says anything. "You shouldn't be fucking with a **Guardian of Alola**!" She screams as an enormous headless pink body appears before her. Greninja and I watch in awe as she floats to where it's head should be and attaches herself to it. She raises her fist and calls out, "Checkmate, asshole!" Before sending it hurtling downwards towards us.

A desperate idea forms in my mind as I call out to Greninja. "Greninja! Use Night Shuriken to block it!" His eyes narrow and he does as I say. I mimic his movements unconsciously as Lele's fist slams down onto the Dark Water Shuriken on Greninja's palm. For a few seconds, nothing happens. Then a flood of water shoots up from Greninja and it forces the fist away. I smile. "Greninja! Let's finish this! Night slash that arm!" Greninja grins as we both move forward, our bodies mimicking each other as we dodge strikes from Lele's massive left arm. A second later and Greninja has completely severed the glowing appendage on her right.

Lele screams in pain, her glowing body fading as she falls into Greninja's waiting arms. "I guess we win, Greninja." I say as spirals appear in Lele's eyes. Greninja nods and reverts to his original form, placing Lele back on the ground and returning to me.

Lele blinks her eyes after another moment, to see us grinning. "So I guess I lost again, right?" Greninja nods, his eyes locking with Lele's. Lele smiles and floats towards us. Her hand reaching into my pocket and pulling out a rare pokeball of mine. My eyes widen as she offers me the pokeball and indicates herself. "Catch me." She says simply.

My eyes widen in shock. "Lele? Are you alright? You said you'd never let anyone catch you. Why the hell are you asking for it now?" I ask. She looks at me for a moment, then spreads her arms wide.

"Ash, look around us. I've been stuck on this island for thousands of years, and I've grown very strong here. But I've stopped growing. All of us Tapu's have. We've… I've grown complacent. I need to leave this place to grow stronger! And your Pokémon have surpassed their limits for you, so that's got to mean something. So please, just catch me."

"Wait, wait, wait. What?!" Yells Calem. "A legendary is asking to be caught? You guys are notoriously picky with your trainers. I should know, Xerneas was a pain to convi-" He covers his mouth, glancing at the two Zygardes, who are now staring at him intently.

"Finish, the sentence." They whisper together. Creating an incredibly terrifying voice. Calem glances at Emma in fear. She shrugs.

"You fucked up and said something, don't come running to me for help. Because I seem to be the only person that doesn't have a legendary pokemon."

Calem shudders for a moment, before saying, "It was a pain to convince Xerneas that I was the right trainer to wield its power…" He trails off as both the Zygardes… Zygardi? What the hell is the proper time for two Zygarde? Oh whatever, they both suddenly turn toward the door, a salvo of dragon pulses ready to fire. I spin around to look as well, and see a familiar set of masks staring us down. I smile and relax.

"It's alright you two, these are the guardians of Alola. Tapu-Koko, Tapu-Bulu, and Tapu-Fini." I bow before the region's defenders. "Guardians, these are Zygarde. They are the beings responsible for the defense of the Kalos Region. They also happen to be old friends of mine."

Tapu-Koko, the most talkative among the three at the moment, floats towards me. "Ash, why have you brought such powerful beings here? Their presence could throw off the balance of our region."

I nod in understanding. "I'm aware, Ko. I didn't bring them here intentionally. I just asked Gallade to teleport us to somewhere warm. And he brought us here, to Lele's temple. We'll be returning to Kalos soon, so don't worry. However, I do need to consult with you about somethi-" I'm cut off by the sound of a pokeball capturing a Pokemon. I spin around immediately and see that Lele had just caught herself.

Tapu-Fini speeds forward and grabs the pokeball, releasing her friend. "What in the name of the sun is wrong with you, Tapu-Lele? Why did you just catch yourself?"

I sigh. "That's what I meant to talk to you about. Lele has asked me to catch her and take me with her on my travels." Stunned silence follows my statement, and Tapu-Bulu actually stops floating for a second. "I know this is surprising, and I would like to ask the council of the sins to give me guidance on this matter."

Bulu snorts, clearly an affectation. These legendaries don't have lungs to breath. "You assume we can find them all. The Sunne and the Moone should be easy to summon, but the Prism? It is impossible, he is our _god's_ sloth after all." He scoffs as he says the word, "god."

I groan, not a minute alone with Bulu and he's already spouting off his disgust with Arceus. I suppose I should explain, The Arceus that created Alola always thought of itself as a pure and perfect being. But, in order to truly reach his supposedly perfect state, he had to reject the eight deadly sins. What? Did you think there was only seven? No no no, this Arceus viewed Cowardice as a sin as well. Thus, Solgaleo, Lunala, Nekrozma, Marshadow and the Tapus were created.

As I open my mouth to reply, Tapu-Fini cuts me off. "Tapu-Bulu, Ash has requested that we give him counsel, and as a member of said council, I must point out that Ash has provided his service to every member of the council, and has earned near infinite rewards, so why should we deny him a council with all of they that he has saved? I believed that you were God's wrath, but your words make me believe that sloth would be a more appropriate."

Holy shit. I don't think I've ever seen Bulu so angry. His eyes are sort of bulging out of their sockets as he yells at Fini. "You should watch your tongue, Tapu-Fini! In fact, I think I will remove it!" Then, he charges, a Horn Leech hurtling towards the face of Fini.

Before anyone else can react, Heracross has sprung from his pokeball and used Pin Missile, latching on to the charging Tapu and slamming him to the ground. As Bulu rises, Heracross uses Venoshock, ending it then and there. Hyper effective attacks aren't pretty. They're really useful though.

"Bulu, I'd appreciate it if you calmed down. I understand that Fini insulted you, but you do need to remember that she insults everybody. And anyways, it truly shouldn't be a problem. Necrozma and Marshadow both owe me a few favors, so I can call on them when I get back from Kalos."

Koko shakes his head. "Why were we not made aware of this?" He asks. He doesn't seem to surprised that those two owe me favors, however..

I shrug. "You never asked. I'll try and be back as soon as I can. When that happens, let's see if we can't get the council together. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bring these guys back to… Oh shit. God damn it, we forgot about the Munna. Gallade, teleport us back to the mountain, will you? We need to drop these three off before we return to Lumiose."

Squishy coughs, and I take a moment to note just how fond legendaries are of affectations. "Ash, if you would be so kind as to drop us off at our temporary base of operations instead, I would greatly appreciate it."

I nod and glance at my Gallade, who closes his eyes and teleports us away. I blink and we're standing in a giant room, covered in electrical equipment and appliances. This was most certainly not what I expected for a ground types lair, before I recognize the symbols on some of the gadgets. This place is probably a facility of Voltech. Clemont's idea of a clever name. I glance at the large snakes as the start to move towards the large door in front of us. "Does Clemont know about this? Or is this one of his sister's old personal projects?"

Z2 glances at me, it's tail curling around itself. "It is indeed one of Bonnie's personal projects. However, Clemont is fully aware of it's operations, as is the current President of the Aether Foundation, who sends injured pokemon here for several of our newfound colleagues to heal, and coax the pokemon back to full strength."

I raise my eyebrow. "Realy? I must admit, I'm kinda surprised. My experience with the Aether foundation is… considerably less positive. Though I haven't heard much about it's new leadership. They've sort of been kicked out of Alola for what they did recently. What with former President Fabba's support of Team Rocket." Pikachu nods, it's cheeks sparkling with anger at the memory.

Squishy grunts. "Yes, we were made aware of what President Lusamine has done. We assure you, President Wicke and Vice President Guzma have-"

"Wait, wait, wait, Guzma? Guzma is the fucking Vice President of the Aether Foundation? Why not Lily or Gladion? And why the hell would he ever accept in the first place? He was the leader of Team Skull! And he's probably had the worst experience with the Aether Foundation out of anyone! He was literally thrown into another Dimension by Lusamine."

Z2 snorts. "In his misguided youth, perhaps. But you must remember that Team Skull was primarily made up of teenagers and troubled youths who lost their way in life. They were lost, and Guzma was a charismatic young leader to guide them through their troubles and problems. And besides, surely you heard of what he did after he disbanded Team Skull?" I shake my head.

"I haven't, please enlighten me." Squishy prepares to speak, but Calem interrupts him.

"Excuse me, but now may not be the time for this. We've got a few hundred sleepy fuckers that need to drink and eat, otherwise they will die. And you still have your friend to see."

I nod. "He's right, Squishy, Z2, Greninja, it seems I must bid you adieu." Greninja shakes his head and sticks his tongue out, snagging a pokeball on my belt. "Greninja, what are you doing?" I ask. Though I think I already know the answer, and I am unbelievably stoked about it.

Greninja taps its head with the pokeball, and shoots inside it in a flash of light. The ball falling to the floor and rolling towards me. I lean down and scoop it up with a grin. "Good to have you back buddy, there's a lot we have to catch up on." I salute both of the Zygarde, who both look quite stunned, then nod to Gallade, who teleports the rest of us back to the hotel room.

Surprisingly enough, the Munna is still there, except there are a few dozen more with it, and a Musharna as well. They're all staring at me, their drowsy eyes opening wide as they float. I smirk, and indicate the door. "Your home is safe now. Yveltal shouldn't be causing any more trouble. Now will you leave these people alone. Musharna nods, and the Munna turn and fly out the window, whizzing in what I'm guessing is the direction of the mountain. I sure hope the hotel doesn't make me pay for the window. Emma and Calem collapse onto the chairs in the room, seemingly unaware that there are actually people staying here.

"What the hell are you all doing in our room? And how the hell did you get in?" Yells an angry voice from the bed. I turn and grin at the elderly man and woman lying under the covers.

"Sorry sir. Police investigation. We just got word that Officer Jenny has apprehended the culprit. So the need for us detectives has fallen flat again. We'll get out of your hair." The man nods, clearly still confused, but I get the feeling he doesn't have the energy to care. He probably hasn't had anything to drink in at least a day, so that's gotta have dehydrated him a bit. I smirk and gesture for the others to follow me out. They both groan and stand up, walking out of the room behind me.

"So, that was exciting. What now?" Asks Emma as we start to descend. I shrug and scratch Pikachu's chin. He makes a contented noise and rubs against my head.

"I'm gonna go and pick up some food for Brock. He probably hasn't eaten in awhile. Then, I get the feeling we'll stay in town for the night, before heading off to wherever he wants us to go tomorrow." Calem nods, glancing at his watch.

"It's pretty late. You want to stay at my place? Feel free to ask Brock too, I get the feeling he's not gonna want to stay at this hotel after this."

I smile. "Thanks, I may take you up on that, you guys want me to grab you dinner too? My treat for forcing you to go around on out teleportation trip."

Emma snickers. "You're actually offering to treat us to dinner after giving us the opportunity to meet not one, nor two, or three, but Six legendary pokemon? Ash, why did you not meet us sooner?"

My smile morphs into a smirk. "Was kind of on the run from maniacs that ditched pokeballs and started using Semi-Automatics instead. Kinda makes it hard to socialize."

Calem shakes his head. "Team Rocket sure did go crazy in it's last few months. Do you know what caused that?"

"Classified." I say as we exit the elevator. "But seriously, do you guys want anything? Keep in mind, I'm gonna be swinging by a donut shop to remind Brock of one of his most memorable blunders. If you want the donuts afterword, that's fine. But I'll need the bag. I'm gonna fill it with some Onigiri."

Calem shrugs and glances at Emma, whose mouth is watering at the thought of food. "Ash, there's a good barbecue place a towns away, and they do takeout. Can that be the place?"

I nod. "Sure thing, let's get moving." With that, Gallade teleports us away.

* * *

An hour later, I'm knocking on the door to Brock's hotel room with a bag of brisket and ribs. "Who is it?" He calls from inside.

"Room service! You ordered the Miltank ribs and brisket, and a dumbass trainer with a Pikachu?" I call back. Brock practically breaks down the door and snatches the brisket out of my hand.

"Thank Christ! I'm really hungry!" He says as he tears open the bag, pulling out a rib and tearing through it greedily.

I shake my head. "You should be thanking me, brought you some jelly filled donuts too." Brock doesn't seem to be paying attention, he's too busy plowing through the barbecue. There's a nice smell wafting through the room as the brisket lays in the tray. I smirk and take a sip of grape soda before walking forward and cutting myself a slice. "So, mind telling me why you called me here?" I ask as Brock reaches for his third rib.

"Right, right. Sorry, it's just I've been so hungry that I completely forgot about it. I've recently returned to the Pewter Gym part time while my Brother is busy working on getting his Diploma in Geology, and I recently was invited to enter the Upsilon Tournament. Speaking of, are you competing as well?" He asks.

I nod. "Yeah, and this time if we battle, I won't need to use the sprinklers."

Brock smirks. "Good to hear. Anyways, when I heard I was invited, I knew I had to get a lot stronger in the time remaining. And I figured that if I learned how to Mega Evolve my Steelix, things would work pretty well. I saw that you Mega Evolved your Charizard and a few others, so I had a feeling you knew a bit about Mega Evolution, and probably knew a good place for me to look for a stone. So I called you here."

I sit down on his bed and stroke my chin thoughtfully. "Yeah… There is somewhere I can think of that'll have Steelixite. Maybe some Heracrossite as well. But I don't feel like going there tonight, I've had a long day. A friend of mine offered to let me stay with him. He invited you, too. We both doubted that you'd love the idea of staying here after what happened. But you're welcome to stay here, and I'll swing by tomorrow at nine."

Brock shakes his head. "No thanks, I'll go with you. This place does sort of put me off a bit. You ready to go? And don't you even dare give me those Onigiri. I get it, okay? I fucked up and called them Jelly Filled Donuts. You never bothered to correct me, so fuck off."

I snicker and stand up. "Yeah, I'm all set. Come on." With that, we exit the hotel room and head to the lobby, checking Brock out of the hotel as we leave."

* * *

Calem answers the door with a smirk. "Hey Ash, long time no see. I take it you and Brock decided to stay the night?"

I nod. "Yeah, we did. Thank's for letting us crash here, Calem. I appreciate it."

He smirks. "No problem man, hold on. I'll get my roommate to roll out the couch bed." Calem turns and belows. "Yo Sun! Do what I just said!" A man in a striped T-Shirt walks past us, casually signing for Calem to go fuck himself. "You mouthy little prick! What the hell is up with you today!?" Yells Calem angrily.

Sun leans back into the room and signs, " **You didn't mention the Munna case to me, or tell me you invited Ash and Brock to stay the night. You invited them, you set up the bed."**

Calem flips him off before turning back to us. "Sorry, for someone who can't speak, Sun's got a mouth on him. Anyways, I'll set up your beds. One of you is gonna have to bunk on the couch though."

I smile. "That's perfectly alright, I'll take the couch bed. Again, thank you for hosting us. And thank you as well, Sun!" I call as I walk into the living room. Sun casually waves acknowledgement from the kitchen.

Brock snickers as he walks in, glancing at Sun and saying. "Calem, I get the feeling you don't get much control around here."

Calem shrugs and smiles easily at Brock. "Maybe, but I have enough control to boot you out into the street if I wanted to." Brock, quite wisely, shuts up. Calem turns to me and raises an eyebrow. "So, you gonna tell me what you're gonna do tomorrow? Are you gonna be in town, or heading out?"

I sit down on the couch and lean back, noting how comfy it is. "Don't bother rolling out the bed on the couch, I prefer it like this. And yeah, we'll be heading out tomorrow. Brock's looking for a Mega Stone before he heads for the Upsilon Tournament. So I was thinking we'd head to Shalour City to see Korrina."

Sun nods in the kitchen. " **That makes sense, Korrina does know quite a bit about Mega Evolution. It's really quite impressive."** Then, he leans down and grabs something under the table. " **Don't tell either of us what stone Brock is going for. Though we can probably do research on it when the time comes. Neither of us want any early advantages if we face you in the Upsilon Tournament."**

Calem raises a finger. "I disagree! I think you should tell me the stone. You don't have to tell Sun if he doesn't want to know!"

Brock glances at me and shakes his head. "Is this guy always like this?"

I shrug. "How the hell should I know. I just met him this morning. It's sort of hard to focus on personality when you're standing toe to toe with legendary pokemon. Though I guess it makes sense that he'd want information. He is a PI and all."

Brock shakes his head. "You said that so casually. Do you just see legendaries every day? Or have you been in so many of those scenarios that you just don't care any more?"

I smirk and settle into the couch. "Brock, you've seen how legendaries seem to be attracted to me. In one case, literally."

Brock groans. "Don't fucking remind me. You got a girl to kiss you before I did! I swear to Christ, I'm never going to get a girl."

I nod. "Not with that attitude. Also not with the instant confession of love thing. That doesn't work to well."

Calem snickers. "Wait, Brock confesses to women he's just met? Come on man! That's just fucking stupid. Learn to have patience while reeling in a girl."

Sun taps the counter then signs, " **Right, patience. That's the reason you haven't gotten a girlfriend yet, you're being patient. Just confess already. You and I both know you like E-"** Calem lunges forward and grabs Sun's hands. A nervous grin is on his face as he looks back at us.

"You two probably want to be left alone! We'll head to the other room, see you guys tomorrow!" With that, he hauls Sun into the other room. Sun grins at us, and we both try to suppress our laughter. We fail, and Calem flips us off.

Brock sits down in one of the comfy looking armchair in the living room, putting his feet up and grinning. "So, what about you? Have you met any girls in your travels that you actually started to feel something for?"

I nod, a happy little grin on my face. "Yeah, a girl named Serena. She's got honey blonde hair that she cut short, and it really matches the hat she always wore. Not to mention those eyes of hers… A blue as deep as he ocean. Then she had a personality that would always make me smile. Plus, over the last few years she devolved an adorable little quirk where she bites her bottom lip. She has this scar on her knee from when we were kids, and she has this wonderful smile… Holy shit I miss her."

Brock smirks. "You are really struck bad, aren't you?"

I glance at him. "What do you mean by 'struck bad?' Are you saying that I'm in love with her?"

Brock raises his eyebrow. "Well, aren't you? You're describing her like you've memorized every detail. Even her tiniest behaviors. Not even I've fallen for a girl like this."

I shake my head. "That's because you never really fell for anyone, you were just aroused because they were pretty."

Brock laughs. "You're not going to be able to change the subject here, Ash. And I notice that you aren't denying it."

I sigh. "Fine. Look, I'm not sure what I feel about Serena. I do know that it's nothing like I ever experienced before. But whether or not it's love, I can't be certain. And I do know you are the last person that I should be going to for relationship advice."

Brock looks hurt for a second, but then he smiles. "Whatever, you definitely want her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be heading to bed… Something about getting your dreams even doesn't make for getting good sleep. Goodnight Ash."

I nod and lie down on the couch. "Yeah, night Brock." With that, I close my eyes and drift off, waiting for the next day to come.

* * *

"Lucas! I swear to Christ, if you touch my bruises again, I'll beat your ass senseless!" Yells Nate angrily. I snicker and nod at Lucas.

"Better listen to him. Nate has ways of making people talk." I say as I lean against the wall. Lucas, of course, ignores me and pokes Nate again. Bad move. "Hey Lucas, I'll bet you twenty bucks you wake up missing an entire toenail."

Red glares at me. "Hugh, I thought we agreed, no betting on other people's suffering. Besides, you know that you'll just promise Nate half the money and have him do it."

I smile sweetly at our de facto leader while Ash was out of town. "Come on, Red. Who do you take me for?"

Silver elbows me in the ribs and smirks. "A gambler, and one that is unusually good at cards. I'm still missing my old deck…"

I shake my head. "Don't know what you're talking about, Silver. If I wanted to cheat at cards, I'd by my own deck. People'd be suspicious if one of the decks went missing. I think you should search Lucas's pockets…" I'm cut off as someone reaches into my pocket and pulls out a deck of cards. I turn and glare at Hilbert, who's grinning at me and holding out his hand.

"You bet I couldn't steal this. Now, I expect my payment." He says with a grin, casually tossing the deck up and down with a grin.

"No I didn't! That's my personal pack. I bet you couldn't steal Silvers!" I say crossly. Hilbert just grins wider and pulls another deck of cards out of his back pocket.

"Well then, I expect you to pay me for that bet, and a little extra to get your deck back." He says with a snicker.

I groan. "Fine, here's the money for the bet. And I'll go grab the rest from my room. Seriously though, you have to teach me how you revved up the stakes. That was fucking magical." I hand over three hundred dollars then start to head upstairs.

"Hold on Hugh, I've got you." Says Nate as he hands Hilbert the rest of the payment.

Hilbert hands over the deck and his self satisfied grin transforms into a genuine smile. "Always looking out for Hugh, Nate. I admire that."

I nod. "Me to! Thanks a million Nate." I grin at him, and he blushes. "Also, are you gonna stop choking Lucas? I mean, I get that he poked you, but I don't think Red would appreciate you killing him."

"The rest of us would though!" Calls Paul from the kitchen. Hilbert and I nod in agreement.

"But I control your food, Nate. So if you want to eat, you let his ass go!" Says Red as he pulls a cast iron pot out of the oven. Nate, quite smartly, let's Lucas go. Red nods in approval, and I sigh.

"Pity, if he was unconscious, he wouldn't need to eat." Hilbert says, and I nod my support for the idea.

"You two are bad influences! Paul, is the rice done? And would you like any sample chicken? You get first dibs for helping in the kitchen. Unlike some people!" Says Red, with a meaningful glance in our direction.

I lean against the wall and shake my head. "What are these chicken things anyways? They're sure not any kind of Pokemon I've ever seen."

Red shrugs. "Hell if I know, I do know it's fucking delicious. Now, we should get ready for dinner. Nate and Hugh, please set the table. Hilbert, put a little honey on the Mago Berries. Silver, if you would be so kind as to get people drinks, I'd appreciate it. Paul, you've done enough by helping cook. Lucas, you drew the short end of the stick, so you're doing dishes tonight."

Lucas groans and wipes his brow. "Jesus christ. I'm damn near choked to death, and I still have to do dishes? What is wrong with this dumbass dysfunctional family?"

I smirk. "You didn't have to poke Nate, Lucas. You could've left it there. And there's nothing wrong with this family. Except maybe a minor gambling addiction running through half of us."

Silver nods and grins. "I couldn't have said it better myself! Now come on, let's hurry up. I can already taste the chicken. Red poured in a little bit of cola for a nice caramelization. I am so ready!" With that, we enter the dining room, and chow down.

* * *

The next morning, Brock and I are standing in the streets of Shalour city, walking towards the Tower of Mastery. "You're sure we can find a Mega Stone here? And if we can, do you really think we'll be aloud to have it?" Asks Brock.

I nod. "Yeah, Korrina's an old friend of mine. Plus, her Grandfather is the Mega Evolution Guru. If anybody will know where to find the Mega Stones, it'll be him. I also got my Key Stone here as well. There is one thing we'll probably need to-" I'm cut off as Pikachu springs off my shoulder and uses iron tail, knocking a Focus Blast into the ground. "Speak of the devil and she shall appear. How's the skating been Korrina?" I call to the woman hiding in the water.

"Pretty well, Ash. How's Mega Evolution treating you? I'm guessing that because you're back here, you need something regarding it?" Replies Korrina as she walks out of the water. She's wearing a white, two piece Bikini, and it makes me glance at Brock to see if he has a nose bleed. Quite surprisingly, he doesn't. Brock catches me looking and grins.

"Yeah, I do need something. My friend Brock here needs to learn how to Mega Evolve before the Upsilon Tournament, and I need some clues on where to find some Heracronite. So, you willing to help us?" I ask. Korrina seems to have tuned me out a bit, she's staring straight at Brock… And her jaw is hanging open. "Hello, Korrina? You still there?"

She shakes her head. "Yeah, yeah. Sorry Ash… I was just distracted by something. I'll help you out, but you've got to do me two favors, sound good?" I nod and she grins. She walks up to me and whispers, "First thing you need to do, is get Brock to ask me out. I'm a little too shy to do it myself." My jaw drops open, and before I can react, she straightens up and yells. "And now I want a rematch! Ash Ketchum, I challenge you to a Pokemon Battle!"

 **I'M BACK MOTHER FUCKERS! I ain't gonna give an excuse or reason for me being gone… I just was. Now I'm back. You want a spoiler for next chapter? To bad, I'm not doin' that shit anymore. Have fun, live long and prosper, Yada yada yada. Next chapter will be out at some point. Probably before April or some shit I don't know. 'Kay bye.**

 **\- Frick**


	3. Chapter 3

"...Ash Ketchum! I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!" Yells Korrina, her face telling me that she won't take no for an answer.

I smirk and reach for my pokeballs. "Brock, can you be the Ref?" I ask as I grab onto Greninja's pokeball.

Brock nods. "Yeah, sure Ash. But do you guys not want to go on land first? In case you haven't noticed, the tide is coming in. "

Korrina smiles. "He's right, there's a balcony in the tower of mastery where we can battle. Let's get moving!" With that she starts to run towards the tower, a huge grin on her face.

Brock and I glance at each other, and grin. "How far up do you think she'll get without some guy getting a nosebleed?" I ask. Brock shrugs and his grin goes a little sheepish.

"I just hope she doesn't get dressed half way up. She's super hot." He replies as he starts walking. I glance at him in surprise.

"You thought she was hot, and you didn't just get on your knees? Brock, are you actually getting mature?" Brock shakes his head.

"Hell no! I was tempted to at first, but then I fought off the urge. I finally realized that proposing to every other woman I see was probably hurting my chances. I've decided that from now on, I'll hold that in, and learn more about the girl I like first."

I nod and grin. "That makes sense. Well, if you need any help, I'll see what I can do. Maybe I can score you a date."

Brock raises his eyebrows in surprise. "You'd do that for me, Ash? Thanks man! I owe you, big time!"

I smirk. "Remember that when you're choosing how large to make dinner tonight. Speaking of which, want to invite Korrina to join us? You could probably use some information about Mega Evolution from someone as experienced as her. She's been using it for upwards of six years. And it's really hard at first for every Pokemon and trainer."

Brock nods. "You make a compelling argument. Sure, we can invite her."

I shake my head. "What's this we shit you're talking about? You need the info, you ask her." And it'll probably make Korrina pretty happy too. Aren't I a genius?

As we walk upstairs, we are pleasantly surprised to see that there aren't any people standing around. I guess nobody saw Korrina then, which is a relief. She's standing at the balcony with her pokeballs in hand, and her Lucario is standing behind her. Behind her leg, a little Riolu is peering up at us.

"Looks like her Lucario finally had a kid." I say as I step forward. Brock stares at Riolu, his eyes studying it intently. Probably an old breeder habit of his. I guess Riolu hates being stared at, because it uses force palm and sends my friend flying into a wall.

"Ow… Where did that truck come from?" Brock's groans, sucking air into his now empty lungs.

I smirk and gesture between Korrina and I. "You've been hit with worse shit in the past. I know you've died twice now. So pick your ass up!" Brock glowers at me.

"I've died once, Ash. That other time doesn't count! Time changed so we never existed! I don't see why we faded so slowly though, you know! And if death prepares you for getting hurt, why did you not just keep pushing forward when you got shot that time we got ambushed by that Team Rocket crew. You've died, what? Four times? Five maybe? You said you lost consciousness when you were helping Manaphy, so you probably drowned, and Manaphy revived you or something."

I sigh. "Point taken. Just hurry up. I want to get this rematch started." Brock snickers and walks to the center of the balcony.

"This will be a three on three, just like our gym battle. Machamp! I choose you!" Says Korrina, and out pops her Mienshao, staring at me calmly.

"Is this Machamp the one that shot a Focus Blast at us?" I ask, brushing my fingers over my pokeballs. Korrina nods. "Then I think that Pikachu should get to retaliate, don't you buddy?" With that, Pikachu hops off my shoulder and crouches.

"Alright, let's get to it. Battle… BEGIN!" Brock yells before moving to the side of the Balcony.

"Machamp! Use Low Sweep! Then follow up with a Cross Chop!" Yells Korrina. My mind kicks into overdrive as three possible strategies pop into my head. We could use Iron Tail to block the Low Sweep, then Thunderbolt through the Iron for extra power. I could Quick Attack to dodge around him. Or I could get into the air using Electro Ball and strike down with a few Thunderbolts. I go with the first option. I don't want anything to flashy.

"Pikachu! Block it with Iron Tail, then counter with Thunderbolt!" Pikachu speeds to obey, and my strategy works like a charm. Machamp is knocked back by the bolt of electricity surging through his body. He stands, but a surge of electricity crackles through his body. He's paralyzed!

Korrina grins. "You've gotten better, Ash. But don't feel safe yet. Machamp, use Double Focus Blast! Then follow up with Dynamic Punch!" Oh shit, if those land, they'll hurt really bad.

"Pikachu, Quick attack around them!" I yell. Pikachu listens, but is still hit with both Focus Blasts. This Machamp probably has No Guard. That's no good, but I may have a way to stop this guy in his tracks. "Pikachu! Electro-Volt Tackle!" Pikachu grins and uses electro ball on himself, then uses Volt Tackle as it hits him! The result is a supercharged lightning mouse slamming Machamp into the side of the balcony, knocking him out.

"Machamp is unable to battle, Pikachu wins. Which means that the first round goes to Ash. Korrina, please select your next Pokemon." Says Brock.

Korrina nods. "You did great Machamp. Get a good rest. Alright, Mienshao! I choose you!" The Martial Arts Pokemon appears out of its pokeball, and nods at me. I nod back and gesture for Pikachu to come back to my shoulder, which he does.

"Gallade, come on out!" I call as I release my Pokemon. Gallade appears before me, crouched and ready for the attack. He turns to me and grins, his dazzling emerald eyes seemingly flashing in the sunlight. Mienshao bows calmly to my Pokemon, then goes into a ready stance.

"Alright, begin!" Yells Brock.

"Mienshao, use Knockoff!" Yells Korrina. Mienshao leaps to obey, her eyes locked on Gallade.

"Gallade, teleport and dodge it!" I respond. Gallade nods and teleports away. Mienshao shoots through the air he had occupied a few seconds before. "Now use Psycho Cut." I command. Gallade smiles and charges forward, cartwheeling into Mienshao and kicking her into the air. Gallade follows her up, and a Psycho Cut slams down onto the Monklike Pokemon's stomach. Mienshao groans and lands on the ground, her back making a noticeable dent in the stone.

Korrina's eyes narrow. "Pretty sneaky move Ash. But it won't work twice! Mienshao, use Drain Punch!" Before either of us can speak, Mienshao has shot forward and slammed Gallade in the gut. "Now use Stone Edge!" Yells Korrina.

"Teleport out of the way!" I order, and Gallade nods. Before the Stone Edge can hit him, Gallade blinks behind his opponent. "Now, use Bulk Up!" Gallade obeys, body glowing as his power rises.

"Fuck, okay… Mienshao, return!" Says Korrina. Mienshao is beamed back into her pokeball, and I watch as Korrina puts her fingers to her lips and lets out a sharp whistle. From above us, a loud roar announces the arrival of Lucario.

"Son of a bitch! Where the hell did he spring from?!" Asks Brock, a shocked expression on his face. I smirk and gesture at the bipedal canine in front of us.

"Korrina, why was Lucario on the roof?" I ask, my eyebrow raising.

"Ever heard of a dramatic entrance, Ash?" Replies Korrina, a huge smile on her face. "If you'll excuse me for a second, I need to power Lucario up."

I nod. "Please, wouldn't want to deprive you of an advantage." Korrina snickers and taps the keystone on her glove. Energy surges through it, and I cover my eyes to stop myself from being blinded. As the light dies down, I take a glance at the Mega Evolved body of the Aura Pokemon. It's been so many years since I first discovered Mega Evolution, and I'm still awestruck by the sheer power it exudes.

"Alright, it's time for a fun brawl. Gallade, you ready?" I ask, and Gallade nods, a savage grin on his face. Then, I extend my hand forward. "Use fire punch!"

Korrina shakes her head. "Not gonna hit us, Lucario, dodge and use swords dance!" Lucario obeys, leaping away at the last moment and using swords dance midair. "Now, use Shadow Claw!"

I grit my teeth as Lucario's Shadow Claw rakes across Gallades back, wincing as he thuds to the ground. He pushes himself back up though, and spins around to face Lucario again. "Alright, Gallade. Let's mix it up with Fire-Cut!" Gallade leaps to obey, using both Fire Punch and Psycho Cut at the same time and rushing Lucario again.

"Use Bone Rush to block it, then hit him in the stomach with an Aura Sphere!" Korrina responded, and I narrowed my eyes as Lucario pulled it off again. I knew me and Gallade were in sync, but they were on a whole new level! The likes I'd only seen between Hugh and his Volcarona, and myself with Greninja.

Gallade was sent hurtling back by the Aura Sphere, and I winced when I saw he was out cold. "Gallade is unable to battle! Mega Lucario wins! This match is Korrina's!" Called Brock, and Korrina grinned winningly at me.

"Come on then Ash, who are you going to send at me next?" She said, and I took a deep breath before replying.

"I choose you, Greninja!"

* * *

There's a knock on the door, and I glance up from the dinner table. "Who do you think that is?" Asks Silver, his eyes locked on the door.

"Let's find out!" Replies Nate cheerfully, standing up and walking towards our entryway. I sigh and get up to follow him.

"You shouldn't be so trusting of knocks at the door Nate, it'll get you hurt someday." Called Lucas as he leans back in his chair. Nate ignores him and pulls open the door.

"Hi there, can I help you?" He asks. The woman at the door smiles winningly at him. She has a camera attached to her head, and a Heliolisk standing at her feet. I immediately recognize her, and push past Nate to block the doorway.

"Alexa, Ash didn't tell us you'd be visiting. What can we do for you?" I ask, not making any move to let her in. Alexa had probably expected a chilly welcome, because she just smiles and raises her hand for me to shake.

"Ash doesn't know I'm here, Hugh. I'm here because I wanted an interview, and I pulled a lot of strings to let this happen. So, would you be so kind as to do your Kalos contact a favor and let me have this?" Her smile is dazzling, but I stay resolutely in the doorway.

"What if we aren't looking for an interview? For that matter, don't you know that we could have your arrested for sneaking onto our property? This is our private ranch, you know?" I say, and her smile falters a little bit, but she remains fixed on her task.

"And need I remind you that I almost had to take a bullet for you, Hugh? I would've done it. So the least you could do is give me some proper courtesy and let me interview you and your friends? I don't have the camera on right now, and I'll call this place an 'undisclosed government facility.' Sound good?" I shake my head and stand aside.

"No, but I get the feeling I can't stop you. There's a room designed for recording in the basement, just in case Nate and I want to pick up our old habits. Follow me, and we can start." I reply as I start walking towards the stairs to the basement. The others look up from the table, and Nate goes over to explain what's happening.

Alexa and I enter the small recording studio, and sit down on opposite ends of the room. She smiles again and flips on her camera when I close the door. "Alright Hugh, I'm going to ask you a few questions about what's happened over the past five years. You were the first one to join Ash on his quest to take down Team Rocket, correct?"

I nod. "Yeah, Ash picked me up after the destruction of the Pokemon School on Mele-Mele. We were both sifting through the rubble, and we found each other. That's when the two of us swore that we'd take down Team Rocket together. Then, the two of us set out to do just that. Clearly, we pulled it off." I sigh. "Thought things couldn't get any worse back then, you know. But we were naive. Few months later, the Devastation of Nuvema. And well... we all know how bad that was."

Alexa nods, taking a deep breath before continuing. "So, one thing a lot of people have been wondering, is why aren't there any females in your group? It's just you boys, right? Why didn't any girls join?" I sigh.

"That's probably because of me. I was a little… overzealous while going through puberty. Eventually, that subsided. But by then, we'd already recruited Lucas, and then, six months later, we took the fight to Giovanni." I say, and lean back in my chair.

Alexa sighs, and leans forward a little in her chair. "Let's talk a bit about you, Hugh. A lot of people are curious about your life story."

I shake my head. "Alright, I was born in Aspertia Town. Grew up there with my two friends, Nate and Rosa. During this time, a group of thieves stole someone from my dad, something really valuable. I wasn't told what at the time, but I figured it out once I got it back during the raid on the Rocket Base in Unova. That isn't important though. Anyway, when I was ten, I met my uncle. The two of us had never formally been introduced, but I had seen him on the TV. His name is Grimsly."

Alexa's eyes widen in shock. "Wait!? You're related to Grimsly? The former member of the Unova Elite Four? The one who resigned because he lost a bet?" I nod and then shake my head.

"Yeah, that's the one. Our family didn't really get along, so we kind of kept it our familiar relationship under wraps. But, he felt that my tenth birthday was a big enough deal to show up, though he did it in secret when I was running around the forest. He came up to me in all black, with a fedora on his head. He looked like the stereotype mobster. But he showed me his face, so I recognized who he was. I went up to him and started to ask him what he was doing here. He told me he wanted to make a bet with me, where I'd win either way. Then he pulled out a coin, and two pokeballs. One with the word 'Head' carved into it. The other one obviously had 'Tails.'"

Alexa raises an eyebrow. "That doesn't seem like him. From what I heard, Grimsly doesn't just give people gifts without some secret cost."

I smile. "Yeah, not normally. But I was the birthday boy, and he besides, he did have a secret cost. He wanted me to drive myself crazy by wondering if the other Pokemon was something even cooler. What he didn't really count on was that I took after him more than I took after my own family. He flipped the coin, and I grabbed it out of the air and made it stand straight up on the ground. If you could've seen his smile, you'd swear he just met Arceus. He laughed, and handed me both Pokeballs. I've had those two pokemon with me ever since. Then my uncle told me something. 'Hugh, I want you to remember what you just did. You just told destiny and fate to go fuck itself, and you made the game something you could only win. Do that with life, and it'll be a great one.' So I held onto that, and it's taken me to where I am today."

"Unfortunately, it turns out that my family wasn't too happy about my newfound way of living life. They'd always been very against gambling, and liked the idea of the world being a fair place and people should count on themselves to dig themselves out of tough situations. I agreed, to an extent. But at the same time, I thought that luck was a big part of life, and you had to balance them both. So, when I started gambling and making a ton of bets, they got pissed. We started fighting more and more, and I got grounded a couple of times. So after a few years, we had a really big falling out, and I ran away. Though I called it a journey. Few years later, I ended up with Ash. The rest is pretty much public knowledge."

Alexa smiles and taps the end recording button on her camera. "Alright, thank you Hugh. Please, send down whoever wants to be interviewed next. Oh, and don't worry. I've kept my trip secret and bounced around every region. No one will be able to find you." I just nod and walk upstairs, gesturing for someone else to go get interviewed.

* * *

Greninja pops out of his pokeball, his eyes piercing Lucario's aura and tracking his slightest movement. Korrina smiles. "So this is the same Greninja that discovered a hidden form. I've got to say, I'm excited to finally battle him. Lucario, Aura Sphere!"

I grin back and say, "Greninja, use Water Shuriken to block it!" Greninja leapt to obey, sending a water shuriken into the aura sphere, and causing it to explode. "Now use Ice Beam!" I cry, and yet again, Greninja obeys flawlessly, sending an Ice Beam hurtling through the air towards Lucario."

"Lucario, dodge it and use Bone Rush!" Calls Korrina, and Lucario ducks beneath the Ice Beam, wincing slightly as it clips one of his ears. Then he stands up and rushes forward, a bone of energy appearing in his hands.

"Greninja, Block it with Night Slash, then use Water Shuriken!" I command, and Greninja's arm flashes up with a dark blade flashing out and intercepting the Bone Rush, while a Water Shuriken slams into the Mega Evolved Pokemon. I grin and follow it up, noticing as I do that my movements were starting to sync with Greninja's. "Now use Ice Shuriken!" I call, grinning as our arms move outward. A frozen water shuriken hurtling towards Lucario.

"Deflect it with Bone Rush!" Korrina responded, her hand flying out and mimicking Lucario's move. I raise my eyebrows, concern blossoming beneath my poker face. It was a little to synchronized to just be her trying to mimic Lucario… She may be getting close to developing Link Evolution!

That thought spurs me on to finish this battle. I knew that if she Linked to Lucario while he was Mega Evolved, I'd lose. And I wasn't going to let that happen. "Greninja! Ice Beam on the field!" I yell, my voice cracking with excitement. Greninja grins, and a sheet of ice flows out from his palms to cover the ground below us. "Now, use Night Slash on your feet!"

Korrina narrows her eyes as Lucario slips on the floor, and Greninja and I snicker as my Pokemon begins to skate around him. If this frustrates Korrina, she masks it well. "Lucario, use Bone Rush to create a pillar to stand on." She says, and I grin. That severely limited Lucario's ability to move, and forced him to resort to only one attack. Aura Sphere. While it was still a big problem, it was easier to deal with then a full moveset. I grin and start moving around with Greninja, sliding around the battlefield and feeling our connection hit it's peak.

"It's happening!" I say eagerly as Greninja erupts into a jet of water. I can see him hovering slightly above the ice now, and watch as more water spreads throughout the field. "Alright Greninja, use Double Team before your water melts the ice." I say, and suddenly a burst of clones appear all around us, each one draped in enormous veils of water.

Korrina grins. "You know that won't work Ash! Lucario, find the real Greninja's Aura then use Aura Sphere!" She calls. And I grimace, knowing that this is going to hurt. But Greninja and I steady ourselves as we continue to allow our clones to charge. Hopefully Korrina doesn't figure it out in time to stop it. Lucario shoots a sphere of pure energy at us, and I grimace as I feel an acute pain in my gut. But I ignore it and slam my fists together.

"Greninja! Feed off the clone's water!" I whisper, and Greninja hears it through our link. He takes a deep breath, then has all of his clones use Water Shuriken on him. The result is quite astonishing. The enormous quantity of water surging around him multiplies by a hundred, and I can tell Korrina is quite concerned.

"Lucario! Use Aura Rush!" She cries, but it's too late for that. Greninja is fully charged up with water, and before Lucario even reaches him, he's stopped by the sheer density of the liquid packed around Greninja.

"Alright Greninja, let's end this. Use Water Shuriken!" I yell, and I feel an immense weight bearing down upon me as my link with Greninja let's me know just how heavy all that water in such a compact state really is. But it pays off when he throws it. I watch through both our eyes as Lucario is slammed backward, watching at he is sent hurtling into the railing. I can tell that he's on his last legs, but he clearly has something left in him.

"We're not finished yet, Ash! So don't you dare think we're going to just let you trample all over us!" Yells Korrina, and Lucario stands up. As Lucario moves forward, an immense energy surges through him. I watch as the braids on his head link together to form a single ponytail in back, and his tail flows around his waist until it matches Korrina's skirt. I shudder in horror as I realize what I'm seeing. Korrina and Lucario… Just Linked.

* * *

I sigh and walk downstairs, feeling the wood creak a little beneath my feet. Alexa smiles at me, and I do the same. "Alexa, it's nice to finally meet you. I've heard good things from Ash." Alexa's smile widens, and she offers me her hand. I take it.

"It's nice to meet you too, Silver. I must admit, I am especially curious about you. You're the only member of this group I haven't personally met." She replies, her eyes travelling up and down my body. "Let's begin with a question that'll get some of the shipping around your group to die out. There have been a lot of rumors about you and Red. Are any of them true?" I roll my eyes.

"If it's about whether or not we're dating, then yes, we are. I don't get how it's so hard to see. We've even kissed in public before, for Christ's sake. The real romantic questions should be about the other members of the group. I mean, it's not hard to figure out who Nate likes once you spend some time with him. But as far as I know, there aren't any other relationships in the group." I say, and Alexa nods.

"I see. Well, I think it's time I asked the real question. You lived a crazy life before you joined this team. Will you tell me about it? What it was like to live in that Rocket prison camp? What it was like being raised by your father, Giovanni?" She asks. I sigh.

"For starters, Giovanni was a shitty father. He never showed up for my birthdays, he barely ever spoke to me, and when he did, he was usually angry. I was raised by his butler, Ryan. Ryan was the one that gave me my first pokemon. It was a Cyndaquil, and I loved him to death. I loved Ryan to, but… He started asking questions, and when he found answers, he confronted Giovanni… So a few days later, he winds up dead in an alley. I'd realized what had happened, and who was responsible. But I was to afraid to go after my father. So, after about three years or so, he threw me into one of his super soldier experiments. I guess he wanted me to be powerful and obedient… Didn't work out like he'd hoped though."

Alexa raises an eyebrow and cocks her head to the side. "How is that the case? You got a super power. And from what I've been told, it's uses are astronomical. I would have thought he'd be thrilled." I snort and shake my head.

"Have you done any research into Giovanni's personality? No, my old man wasn't thrilled, he was furious! Not only did he view my power as worthless, but I was more defiant than ever. It was the exact opposite of what he wanted. So he threw me away with the other rejects. I don't what I'd expected from him, really. I thought for sure he wouldn't toss his own son into one of his death camps, but I was wrong." I say, and Alexa nods sympathetically.

"I can't say I understand what you went through, but I'm sorry you had to go through it." She pauses, taking a deep breath to gather her courage. Then, she asks the question that no one else would ever be willing to answer. "What… What happened in there? The video footage was all destroyed, and no one that's escaped there has ever been willing to talk about it."

 **(A.N. So uh, this part is completely fucked. If you're the kind of person doesn't like really, really horrible acts of absolute evil, I advise you skip the next seven paragraphs and use this summary. Silver gets imprisoned, evil shit happens, he revolts, the guards are all killed.)**

I nod, the agonizing terror creeping through my veins as I recall the tortures that we went through. "Understand this, Alexa. I don't want to talk about this in any way. I don't want to remember what they did to us. But I'm going to tell you because people need to know. They need to know so that this is never repeated."

I shudder, the different horror stories coming forth in my mind like a tornado of despair. "I suppose… We should start with the smallest things. We were fed once every hour. Rotted food, paper, and…" I blanche, shuddering as I remember the taste on my mouth. "...and the other prisoners that died in captivity." Alexa's eyes are already wide with appall, but I keep talking. "Water, on the other hand, was a different matter. One bottle every two days. People got desperate, very desperate. They'd lick their own blood of scrapes and bruises."

I take a deep breath, then continue. "After every twelfth meal, it was beating time. The guards would clobber us, slam us against the wall, electrocute us, burn us, break our arms, that sort of thing. It was worse for the women who were raped though. It happened a lot in there. Some rowdy Rocket guards get together to do unspeakable things to prisoners. I was never touched by them at least. Maybe they thought Giovanni wouldn't take to kindly to his son being assaulted like that. Regardless, the Rocket guards would wait until the fourth month of pregnancy, then they would abort the baby using whatever they had sitting around. A lot of people died from that. A lot of people died from the beatings in general… But nothing, nothing compared to game night."

Alexa raises her eyebrow, her face a ghostly pale, yet still mingled with a twisted curiosity. "What was game night, I've heard people whisper about it when asked, but I've never been able to figure it out."

I wipe the sweat off my forehead, then reply. "Game night was Rocket's idea of fun and games. They'd gather us all up in the common area with sniper positioned all along the walls. Then they'd have about ten guards in the center, and they'd play cards against humanity. Then, they'd force the prisoners to act out the white cards they used. They'd force diseases onto them, dismember them, force us to rape one another, and generally perform the most heinous acts of evil imaginable. And do you know why they did all this, Alexa?" She shakes her head, to terrified to speak. "They wanted to create an environment where hope is crushed within the first day of imprisonment. It almost always was, mine was for certain. But eventually, we started hearing whispers from the guards about Ash's gang and the G-Men. Prison camps were being liberated all throughout the regions, and that tiny fact sparked hope."

Alexa nods, color gradually returning to her face. "Right, your prison camp was the first one to liberate itself. How'd you pull it off? According to the G-Men, the hardest things to do in the war storm the prisons."

I nod, trying to clear the horrors I'd just mentioned from my mind. "Well, it was the inevitability, I suppose. The guards just had guns. We had powers, and no matter how useless they can be individually, or at first glance, they can become absolutely devastating when used in tandem with other powers. That's why the despair was so important for the Rockets, because the second we got that taste of hope, we rose up. We cleaned house with the guards, unleashing years of pent of torture and hatred back upon them a thousand fold. Many of us tortured the guards the same way they tortured us, and I can't say I blame them. After the amount of atrocities we'd had to face, I was feeling savage too. But I fought to control myself, and though I never stopped them from torturing the Rockets, I never joined in either."

Alexa opens her mouth to speak, then seems to rethink it and reach for a water bottle. I smile weakly and glance at the stairs. "Is there anything else you want to ask, or can I send somebody else down?" Alexa nods and takes a sip of water, gesturing that I could go. I nod, and start to walk up the stairs.

"Wait! One more question! What did you feel when Giovanni was finally killed?" She blurts out, and I turn back, staring her dead in the eye so she knew I was telling the truth.

"You want to know what I thought? What I thought while my father had a knife through his heart? What I thought while one of my best friends was stabbing him to death? It's a pretty simple one. 'What a waste of a good suit.'" With that, I exit the basement and make my way into the living room.

* * *

Well fuck. This really won't not end well, will it? Lucario is glowering down at us, the very picture of power in battle. Korrina is grinning fiercely at us as she starts to process what just happened. "Well Ash, I think I just got a bit of an advantage! Time to capitalize on it, I guess! Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" She calls, and I watch as an enormous mass of cyan energy flows from Lucario's palms and forms into a hovering orb of power between his hands. Then I feel even more nervous as I see just a tinge of red forming in the center.

Before I know it, the sphere is hurtling towards us. The red energy at it's core beginning to spread. Without even thinking, I call out, "Greninja, direct all the water into a shield and block it!" Greninja does as I command, and surprisingly, it actually works. The energy ball is halted, and then absorbed into the water, giving it a slight glow. "Well, that's pretty cool!" I say before sweeping outward with my hand. "Water shuriken!"

Korrina glowers at me, before starting to move, Lucario copies her actions, and before I know it, they've performed some sort of Swords Dance, but it seems that the swords became shadowy bones. What could she be planning? I get my answer very quickly, because the sword blocks the water, and reabsorbs the aura that it had stolen. I am, as you can probably imagine, horrified.

"Well! I think it's time we end this, Lucario, use Shadow Sword Rush!" Shouts Korrina, and before I have time to dodge it, Lucario is on top of Greninja, slashing down onto him and knocking him into the ground. I feel the impact, and groan as I'm slammed into the ground as well. Brock, like a decent friend, rushes over to me and checks to see if I'm alright, and I shake my head unhappily.

"Do you want to forfeit?" Brock asks, and I shake my head, pushing myself up and glaring deep into Korrina's eyes.

"Never surrender! Greninja, can you keep fighting?" Greninja nods at me, and I feel our combined determination, and let I like what it feels like. "Good! Then let's give it our all, to the very end! Counter Korrina's blade with one of our own! Use Frozen Water Slash!" Greninja and I throw our arms out to the side, and as the remaining water is concentrated into his hand, and enormous blade of dark ice forms. We grip it tightly and rush forward to meet Lucario. It reacts fast and parrys our attack, but we block it's attempt at a riposte.

Korrina and I are grinning savagely now as we rush around the yard, moving in time to our duelling Pokemon, gradually, our attacks start to get weaker as we batter each other down. Then, with a final effort, we both swing our blades in different ways. Lucario's an overhead swing, and mine a sweep from the side. They both impact, and knock our pokemon back a dozen feat, slamming Greninja into the balcony, and that hurts a lot. But I'm guessing slamming into the tower itself hurt Lucario and Korrina just as bad. I grin as I see Lucario is unable to battle, about three seconds before I fall unconscious.

* * *

 **Well, there's a good enough place to end it. So, Korrina just got a new power. And before any of you say anything, Lucario was one hit from getting downed anyway, and the power up doesn't actually heal him. That's part what the third transformation does. What is this third transformation you ask? Well, you'll find out. I now have a very, very good reason to get these out quick. I'll anounce that in… Four more chapters I'd say. But anyways, what'd you think? I mean, I know it wasn't worth the wait, but I still wanna know.**


	4. The Final Chapter

Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies.

Yeah, hey it's FrickinShark here with my final update. Ya'll can probably figure it out by now due to the fact it's been a year since I've posted, but I am officially quitting fanfiction as a writer. Ultimate reasoning is I no longer feel any connection or passion to writing fanfiction. Reading it is still fun, but I just don't enjoy creating it. There is another reason, being that there was one fan who I won't be naming who was kind of obsessive... and rude... and demanding. I kind of stooped to their level and sent a really scathing final message back after enough spammed annoyances before blocking them. It got the message across.

So yeah, I'm done writing it. However, if anyone is interested in taking up the helm, you can contact me, and I'll take a peak through at some of your writings to see if I like the style. (Yes, I do still hold enough of an attachment to it to not hand it off to just anybody) from there I'll provide you with a rough outline of what I'd originally intended for the plot, and you can cry havoc from there. Just one rule about it, no self inserts.

Welp, guess that's it. Oh yeah, go check out Dimension Distorter and Omniarch if you haven't. Good writers, and nice people.


End file.
